U.S. drivers refusing to carpool

WASHINGTON, June 25 (UPI) -- The number of U.S. drivers traveling alone to and from work is rising despite dire global-warming alerts and pleas from environmental groups to carpool.

More than 102 million people -- or 77 percent of the U.S. workforce -- drives alone to a job, rather than biking, walking, sharing a ride with co-workers or taking public transportation, The Christian Science Monitor reported Monday, citing information from recently released U.S. Census data, culled from surveys conducted in 2005.

Those statistics are up from 1990, even though gas prices have risen considerably over the past 15 years and people are better-educated about the harm cars cause the environment.

Telecommuting is the only environmentally friendly work option that has grown over the past 25 years, the survey stated.

"People don't have flexibility to respond quickly to changes. And Americans have almost grown accustomed to seeing a three in front of the price of gasoline," explained Alan Pisarski, a transportation behavior analyst and author of the "Commuting in America" series. "There's an immense benefit -- whether it's convenience or control -- that people garner from driving alone."